


Humanity Among the Stars

by TheWriteLauren



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 09:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10553666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWriteLauren/pseuds/TheWriteLauren
Summary: What if Krypton was saved? What if Earth was the one doomed by the stupidity and hubris of its inhabitants? These are the questions I wanted to answer.Kara Zor-El comes to warn humanity of an imminent threat. Cat Grant will help her do it. How many can they save? How can humans cope with the loss of their world?





	1. The Most Dramatic Front Page Story Ever

**Author's Note:**

> Fellow Humans and Aliens, the next chapter will be up later today. Please note the time stamp at the beginning of this chapter, it's what I have updated and it's kind of important. Have an amazing weekend, I'm sorry for the chapter delay.

Krypton AU  
Chapter 1

November 13, 2002

“Grant! Get in here, right, now!” Perry White seethed. Cat shoved her way out the crowd that had gathered around the TV, and hurried behind Mr. White to his office. He looked furious, in fact, his face looked exactly like it did that time last month when he threw his chair out the window. And that was only for a missed deadline! 

Cat gulped nervously as he shut the door of his office, and motioned for her to have a seat. 

“Grant,” he started, pacing back and forth like a caged animal, “what the HELL were you thinking?!” he gestured at the news broadcast that had been playing on repeat for the last hour. “I have no fucking idea how you got that second rate story past the editors and into print,” he gestured wildly at the front page of the paper, “and I don’t care, but it is an unacceptable! It is an unfounded, shabbily written piece of needless fear mongering! Look at the chaos it has caused!” He was yelling now, pointing fiercely at the bullpen full of people running about and typing frantically with looks of confusion and determination on their faces. All of them eager to get home and start their own preparations.

“Sir.” Cat started.

“Do not interrupt me, I am not even close to finished.” Mr. White glowered at her as he continued, “You have no solid sources, no quotes, for fucks sake you don’t even have a fully formed idea! Look at this garbage!” he shouted, hurling the paper onto his desk, the bold headline, “WORLD LEADERS CONSPIRE TO USE DEADLY WEAPONS ON INNOCENT CIVILIANS!” staring up at Cat like a damning piece of evidence presented by a prosecutor. 

“The world is in a panic! People are buying out store fulls of food! Gas prices have skyrocketed due to the demand! People are looting, Grant! Looting! Do you even comprehend what you have done?” he said incredulously.

“People are being trampled death in the rush to stock up on ‘Apocalypse rations’.” Mr. White finished with a defeated sigh, sinking down into his chair and staring at Cat with a bewildered expression. “How can you live with that?”

“Mr. White, I have no proof because there isn’t any. This is one government cover-up that would never have had enough concrete evidence to take public. However, the people had to be warned. They had to at least have a fighting chance,” she said firmly, never breaking eye contact, “ they couldn’t just wake up one day and realize that the world had ended, if they ever woke up at all.” She lost her nerve the, suddenly finding her hands, which were resting her lap, very fascinating to look at. 

Mr. White stared at her thoughtfully, “I understand, Grant, I really do, you obviously trust your source. I had sources like that, that part doesn’t confuse me. Even if it was wrong to publish.” he paused, and leaned forward to pick up the paper, studying it closely. “What I don’t understand, is this last part, ‘However, there is no cause to lose hope, there is a chance for salvation. The human race can live on, be at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah by November twenty-seventh and you will live.’ ” Mr. White read aloud. “What does that even mean?”

“Well.” Cat began.

“No… just stop, Grant. Look, you showed promise, but you’ve broken every rule in the book with this stunt. Pick up your last paycheck and clear out your desk. Go home, get some help, spend some time with your son. This isn’t normal behavior, Grant.” Mr. White looked at her sympathetically and sighed. “I hoped this job wouldn’t be too much for you. I thought a year as my assistant had prepared you better. I guess I was wrong.” 

Cat stared back at him. Spine, straight as a board, face, unreadable. “Thank you, Mr. White, for the opportunity.” She stood and turned to leave, then paused and turned back. “You should come,” she said quietly. “to the Flats, I mean. I know you don’t believe me, but what’s the harm in being there anyway? What do you have to lose?” she looked at him hopefully but he was studiously avoiding her gaze. “Goodbye, Mr. White” she murmured with a sigh.

Cat slipped out of his office and closed the door as quietly as possible, hoping to avoid anyone realizing that she was leaving. No such luck, every head in the bullpen turned to watch Cat pack her meager desk decorations, a picture of Carter on his second birthday, and a picture of her father just before he passed away, into a box and carry it to the elevator. She got a few sympathetic stares, but mostly people were just confused. Why had Cat Grant, the Daily Planet’s rising star, junior reporter, throw away her career for one unbelievable story about the end of the world? 

As the elevator doors slid closed, finally obscuring her from view, Cat slumped against the wall. She couldn’t blame them, it was insane. But, it was true, and that’s what mattered. “At least I can spend all day with Carter.” Cat thought. “There I go again, looking for a bright side.” she smirked at herself. “I’ve been spending a little too much time with a certain overly optimistic Kryptonian.” she thought. 

Her thoughts were cut off by the shrill ringing of her cell. “Grant speaking.” she said tersely, this better not be some second rate reporter bothering her about why she committed career suicide.

“Cat! Did you see the news? It worked! I told you I was fast enough to switch those stories!” the voice of an excited woman came crackling over the line. “God the reception is elevators was bad.” Cat thought, slightly annoyed. 

“Yes, I saw. I’m on my way home, by the way. How’s Carter?” she replied, jostling her box around as she stepped out of the elevator as she handed her access badge to the nearest security guard and made beeline for the exit. 

“He’s good! Great actually! I think he’s really gotten used to having me around that last couple of months while we’ve been working on this story.Anyway I called to say that I know you’re having a rough day, so if you want, I can go grab some pasta from that little spot in Italy that you liked so much last time?” the bubbly alien offered uncertainly, she knew Cat didn’t like to impose, but she really wanted her to say yes. 

Cat thought for a moment as she waved frantically to hail a taxi. Holding a box, talking on the phone, and hailing a cab was difficult to do, even for a brilliant multitasker such as herself. “Sure. Sounds great.” she grunted, almost dropping the box as she tried to open the door of the cab that had stopped. 

“Alright! See you at home!”, chuckling Kara continued, “be careful. I hear the end of the world is coming.” and with that, she ended the call. 

Cat stared out the cab window at the bustling city, cradling the box against her chest like one would a pillow. Another habit she’d picked up from Kara. “Right.” she muttered, “the end of the world.” Easy for Kara to joke about, she thought grimly. The end of her world meant Kara could go back to hers. They’d talked about it, but not in the serious way that it warranted. It was a conversation they’d both been avoiding, one of many that they had shied away from, actually. 

Maybe tonight would be the night they finally addressed all of the unsaid, uncomfortable topics that until now, had been religiously avoided. At least, Cat hoped so.

TBC


	2. Traffic is Brutal

Chapter Two  
November 13, 2002

Cat jerked awake with a gasp as the cab came to a screeching halt. She was temporarily dazed by the sudden awakening. Confused as to what the delay was, she leaned forward and tapped the cabby on the shoulder, “What’s going on?” she asked, struggling to be heard over the dull roar of car horns and shouting commuters.

“Sorry ma’am,” the elderly Irishman replied, “this bloody idiot just pulled out in front of me, driving like a wild man, he was! I’ve never seen traffic like this in all my life! It wasn’t even this bad when those planes crashed into the towers last year.” The cabby shook his head in wonder. “Although that may be because everyone was too scared to leave their homes.”

Cat hummed in agreement, “Perhaps, speaking of homes, I would really like to get home to mine. Is there any way that you know of that can get us there faster?”

The cabby shook his head grimly, “No, there isn’t, and even if there was, we’re boxed in.” he gestured behind them to the lines of cars that seemed to stretch on forever, winding through the city like a mass of knotted snakes.

Cat leaned back into her chair and set her box of meager possessions on the seat next to her. She stared at it forlornly. This was all she had left, she’d spent three long years working herself to the bone to get the desk that these belongings had come from, and this was all that remained. She’d be replaced by tomorrow, and the only context her name would be spoken in would be "the rising star reporter who cracked under the pressure and lost her marbles.” She smiled wryly, as if she’d ever been sane to begin with. A female journalist? That was almost as crazy as the end of the world.

They all thought that were right, that was the maddening thing. They would never get to see her prove them wrong. At least that’s what they would think for the next few weeks, after that, there wouldn’t be anyone left to think.

She exhaled and pinched the bridge of her nose to alleviate some of the pressure in her head. She and Kara had spent the last few days rearranging and rewording her article until it was perfect. With so little concrete evidence, it had to sound as believable as possible. No mistakes, no contradictions. Cat had to use every trick she’d ever learned to make it sound as logical as it did.

Now it seemed like those long days and even longer nights were catching up with her.

She picked up the picture of Carter from her box and cradled it in her hands. She needed a distraction from the monotonous sound of car horns and the suffocatingly thick air of the cab.

The picture was taken two months ago on Carter’s second birthday. They had been in the park sitting on a bench eating ice cream, while Cat had vented to him about all of her work troubles. Carter had giggled happily at his mother’s dramatic hand movements and emphatic facial expressions.

She had snapped the picture while he was looking up at her, grinning like she was his whole world, chocolate ice cream still plastered on his chin. The disposable camera had had only one piece of film left, it was a miracle that this had turned out so perfectly. She smiled to herself at the memory. It had been a good day.

It had also been the day she had met Kara. The same jovial girl that was now somewhere in the south of Italy looking for the perfect pasta to cheer Cat up. She smiled again, brighter this time, for an entirely different reason.

*September 2, 2002, Sunday Morning*

Cat dropped her keys in dark hallway of her apartment building. “Dammit!” she swore quietly.

Carter was asleep on her shoulder, exhausted from a long day of birthday fun, meaning she now had to attempt to retrieve her keys from the disgusting floor without waking him up. A feat that she doubted she could accomplish.

Just as she started to remove her heels to squat down and pick up her keys, a young, slightly accented voice stopped her. “Let me get those for you.”

Cat stopped taking off her shoes and turned to see a tall, blonde girl, reaching down to get her keys.

“Here you go.” The taller woman said with an easy smile. “Wouldn’t want to wake the little guy, now would we?” she chuckled lightly.

From the crinkles around her eyes, Cat got the distinct impression that she smiled like that a lot. “Thank you,” Cat whispered. “would you mind?” she gestured at the door. “I would appreciate the help.”

“Of course.” the woman smiled and went to unlock the door. She unlocked it and held the door open while Cat stepped inside. Cat motioned for her to come her inside, she was intrigued by the kindness of this foreign stranger.

“One moment. I’ll just put Carter down and then I’ll get my keys back. I don’t want him to wake up and I can tell that he’s starting to.” Cat hurried into Carter’s room and laid him gently in his bed, covered him with his favorite blanket and quietly shut the door.

“Thank you for your help, that would have been much more difficult without it. And I’m not sure it would have ended as well,” Cat said. “I haven’t seen you in this building before, are you a new tenant?”

The woman shook her head slightly, “No. I’m actually here to speak to you, I think. Unless you aren’t Catherine Grant?”

“No, no, that is me. But, why are you here? Were you just hovering outside my apartment, waiting for me to return?” Cat narrowed her eyes at the taller woman suspiciously. “You look too sweet to be a hitman for the mayor, and if talking about his failed park rejuvenation policies is all it takes to get a visit from the mob then he is going to hate my next article.” Cat abruptly cut herself off when she saw the smile threatening to overtake the stranger's face. She arched an eyebrow at her. “What? Did I say something amusing?”

Now the smile that the woman had been trying to keep under wraps broke free, almost blinding Cat with how genuine and honest it was.

“No! Rao, no,” the woman laughed.

"What a strange word," thought Cat, “Definitely not English.”

“My name is Kara Zor-El.” the woman, Kara, straightened her shoulders, almost imperceptibly, as if uttering her name gave her confidence.

“I was looking for you because I have a story for you. A story that will be the craziest thing you’ll ever hear, but that will possibly save humanity.” Kara said earnestly.

*November 13, 2002, Present Day*

Cat’s smile faded, as did the memory. She chuckled to herself, they had come a long way in two months.

The cabby heard her chuckle, “What’s so funny?”

Cat stared blankly at his reflection in the rearview mirror, “I am sorry for interrupting your thoughts, ma’am. I just could really use a laugh myself right about now.” he glanced at the meter, they’d been “driving” for an hour and had barely moved a mile.

“This traffic is brutal, I just thought if you had a joke to share…” he let the sentence hang, unfinished. He realized how nosy it sounded, now that he had said it out loud.

“No joke,” she murmured. “Just a memory from a different time.” she finished, her voice heavy with emotion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's okay, Cat, I feel melancholy in traffic too. And that's without the fast approaching end of the world. 
> 
> Should I do a separate fic with Kara's point of view?


End file.
